TOWARDS the end of his recently released autobiography, Ryan Giggs recalls a chance encounter with three Liverpool fans at Manchester Airport 48 hours before last season’s European Cup final.

TOWARDS the end of his recently released autobiography, Ryan Giggs recalls a chance encounter with three Liverpool fans at Manchester Airport 48 hours before last season’s European Cup final.

With the scars of Manchester United’s FA Cup shoot-out defeat still fresh, Giggs did not take kindly to the jovial taunts directed towards him and responded he would be ‘made up’ when AC Milan emerged victorious in Istanbul.

To the horror of every Red Devils fan, not only did Liverpool beat the Italian giants, they did so in a manner so thrilling it is a matter of debate whether it eclipsed United’s own memorable comeback against Bayern Munich six years earlier.

“I didn’t buy a paper for a week,” recorded Giggs, the groan virtually bouncing off the page.

It now emerges Giggs not only preferred not to read about Liverpool’s triumph, he did not watch any of it either.

“I didn’t watch the TV or buy a paper,” he said. “It was unbelievable. You don’t like to say it, but you have to give them credit for coming back from 3-0 down.

“To be honest,” he added with a shudder. “I don’t like to think about it.”

Rivalry

The words just emphasise just how big the rivalry is between the north-west giants. United have a few favourite enemies; Manchester City, Leeds, Arsenal and to a lesser extent Chelsea, but none elicit such a passion as the one reserved for Liverpool.

As speculation swirled of a Red Devils bid for Michael Owen this summer, it was pointed out since the Second World War the only direct transfer between the two clubs came in 1964 when Liverpool paid the Old Trafford outfit £25,000 for Phil Chisnall.

The most famous switch came 18 years previously when Matt Busby retired as a player at Anfield and was immediately installed as United manager.

Those two notable exceptions apart, the clubs do not do business with each other, which is just the way they like it and why, when Giggs and his team-mates run out in front of the Kop on Sunday, they will be facing their biggest challenge of the season.

“For a Manchester United player, going to Anfield is still the biggest test,” said the veteran Wales winger.

“We have Chelsea and Arsenal, which are huge matches in their own right but there is something different about Liverpool.

“There is this fierce rivalry and the history of the two clubs. It is the one game in a season where you have to handle the pressure and everything else that goes around the game.

Intense

“The rivalry has been intense for as long as I can remember,” added the 31-year-old.

“Thirty years ago, they had the best of everything; the European Cups, the league titles, the best players and the best team. Since the Premiership started those roles have been reversed, which has just increased the passion.”

United have enjoyed some exhilarating afternoons on Merseyside over the years, winning on their last three visits to Liverpool’s famous old home.

Under-fire Wayne Rooney netted the winner last term, while the season before it was Giggs doing the damage, scoring both in a 2-1 win emulating Diego Forlan’s achievement from the previous year.

It was the first time in their history United have ever won three league games on the trot at Anfield, providing a stark reminder of how difficult beating Liverpool on their own patch is.

But, after dropping their first points of the season against Manchester City last weekend, United know they cannot afford to slip up again if they are to keep pace with champions Chelsea, who still have a 100% record.

“It is hard to think people are saying we cannot afford to lose at such an early stage but Arsenal did not lose a game two years ago and Chelsea only lost one last year so it is getting that way,” said Giggs.

“You can’t afford to drop points at any time in the season. You have to be focussed all the way through.”

Giggs: The Autobiography, by Ryan Giggs with Joe Lovejoy, is published by M Joseph at £18.99

Our newspapers include the flagship Manchester Evening News - Britain's largest circulating
regional daily with up to 130,485 copies - as well as 20 local weekly titles across Greater
Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire.

Free morning newspaper, The Metro, published every weekday, is also part of our portfolio,
delivering more than 200,000 readers in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Business Week is the region’s number one provider of business news andfeatures, targeting a bespoke business audience with 12,687 copies every Thursday.

Every month, M.E.N. Media’s print products reach 2.2 million adults, spanning from Accrington
in the north to Macclesfield in the south.